DPP ruling will ‘further divide’ nation
THE National Federation Party says the decision not to prosecute Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama will further divide the country.
Party leader Professor Biman Prasad called on Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Christopher Pryde to issue his legal reasons for his decision not to proceed on NFP president Pio Tikoduadua’s police complaint that the PM allegedly assaulted him outside Parliament.
“The DPP has said that there was sufficient evidence to charge the PM for assault,” Prof Prasad said
He said if the DPP was correct, then anyone in Fiji who punched a workmate and was disciplined by their superiors could no longer be prosecuted for assault because that could be classified as “double jeopardy”.
“The legal issues are not complicated. The well-known English textbook on parliamentary procedure is called Erskine May.
“It is even available online for everyone to read. Paragraph 11.18 is headed Proceedings, Precincts and Criminal Acts. The first line says that parliament’s control over its own process ‘does not extend to criminal law’.
“It talks about cases where MPs in other countries have been charged in the criminal courts.
“If the DPP thinks differently, he should tell the public why.
“Every time we see decisions like this where our leaders are treated differently to us, our confidence in the country is eroded further and we become more divided,” Prof Prasad said.